The P3 Update Magazine Blog

By Gordon Meyer
P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com

Frank Barron’s recent blog entry about Alfred Hitchcock reminded me of my own personal encounter with the Master of Suspense.  I know this is likely to date me, but what the heck.  It’s too good a story not to share.

When I was a student at what was then called the USC Division of Cinema-Television (Famous Film School was still part of the School of Performing Arts at the time), I produced a tribute to Albert Whitlock, the Oscar winning visual effects artist who specialized in matte work.  (Whitlock won Oscars for his work on “The Hindenburg” and “Earthquake.”) The tribute was for the annual awards banquet hosted by Delta Kappa Alpha, the 50 year old pre-professional cinema fraternity whose roster of honorary members is a Who’s Who of Hollywood.

Hitch was a lifelong friend of Whitlock’s dating back to when the two Brits were still working in the UK and Whitlock did some kind of matte work on Hitchcock’s last six films - from “The Birds” through “Family Plot.”  Needless to say, I was jumping up and down in the film school’s patio when I got the word that Hitchcock had agreed to present Whitlock with his award.

For those not familiar with the process, Whitlock would paint a semi-stylized background image on a large sheet of glass.  Whitlock explained to me that it was stylized because, ironically enough, a more detailed painting would not read as well on-screen.  Blank space would be left on the painting for where the live action would be.  The film would then be wound back and double exposed with the actors.

The evening of the banquet, we ran a goody reel of some of Whitlock’s work.  The example that I still remember to this day was seeing footage of Lucille Ball and some kid sitting on a non-descript triangular projection, followed by Whitlock’s matte painting of water.  Yet when the images were combined, we saw that it was Auntie Mame and her nephew sitting on the crown of the Statue of Liberty for the big screen musical “Mame.”

The industry veterans in the audience were blown away by the goody reel.  Then Hitch wobbled up to the podium.  This was towards the end of his life and sadly he was plagued with arthritis.  But his mind was still sharp as a tack and his wit unmatched.  Here’s what he said:

“You by now realize that a matte is not something that you wipe your feet upon.  You know the real tragedy of this business is that the better a job Al has done, the less people know he’s been there.  What we really need is for people to come out of the theatre and say, ‘My, what a good matte.’  But since I cannot wish you more recognition Al, all I can wish you is more…. Money.”  Now, Hitchcock showed everyone the plaque. “This is not really here.  It’s a matte.  I told you, you couldn’t tell the difference.”

Not only the Master of Suspense, but also the Master of Wry Comments.

Share This

By Gordon Meyer

P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com

One of the pleasures I get from writing for P3 Update is interviewing a wide variety of artists, both above and below the line, and hearing their experiences.  Due to space limitations, often only a fraction of what we discuss ends up in the print version of the magazine, even though I have lots of great material that “never made it past the cutting room floor.”

I’ve decided to share some of these stories here, beginning with sound man MacCaulay Flynt, who I interviewed recently for a P3 Update article you’ll see in an upcoming issue.  One of the things that struck me about Flynt is the way he works with actors on-set.  On the one hand, he keeps things very professional.  “After all, we both have jobs to do,” he told me.  At the same time, he also makes it a point to make and maintain a very human connection with his co-workers, whether they’re fellow below-the-line members of the crew, A-list stars and everyone in between.

Flynt makes it a point to work around the actor’s needs so they have maximum freedom of movement and comfort.   “I want to make them feel like they’re not even wearing a mic. You have to make the actor feel right from the get go that there’s nothing you want to do but get good sound. You’re a person; I’m a person.  We’re both here to do a job.” 

Flynt likes to get to know the actors before he begins working with them, often making small talk to help them feel more comfortable.  On an indie film he worked on earlier this year, he worked with rocker Meatloaf, who’s been going back and forth between acting gigs like his iconic appearance in “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and the recording studio and concert venues.

“I treat them like regular people and get them comfortable with me.  With Meatloaf, it got to be that when he saw me coming, he’d just put up his arms so I could put the mic on him through his top button and down through his tie.” Flynt used omnidirectional mics on Meatloaf.  “Since the knot of the tie never moved that much, and even when it does, the mic moves with the knot because it’s taped to it.” 

Like so many pros working on low budget projects, Flynt learned how to improvise on-set as well.  For “Roost,” a low budget film produced by John Lithgow and Neil Labute, Flynt had to record dialog during a croquet game on what turned out to be one of the windiest days in years for this western Massachusetts location.  The scene was critical to the story and they wanted the dialog live.  Because of the intense winds, a normal windscreen for his boom mic just wouldn’t cut it. “All I had was a standard Rycote windscreen (www.rycote.com).  Then I had a brainstorm.  I sent a PA out to get some unlubricated latex condoms.  I put a condom over the mic, then the Rycote over that.”  He then took a fleece and bongo-tied it to the mic.  “We got perfect sound on the shot.” 

Ya gotta wonder what that PA was thinking when he went off to get those condoms.  Here’s to the genius of technical improvisation!

Share This

By Gordon Meyer
P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com

I’m absolutely amazed by the growing sophistication of video products aimed at consumers these days.   For example, a few months ago, I told you about how DP Paolo Cascio will often use a $200 Flip Video camera shooting in native 720p resolution for some of his professional shoots and the seamless way he was able to integrate that footage.

I’m about to give you another example of an inexpensive tool, in this case an editing program, that can help you create a video product that looks like a million bucks – within reason.  You’d be surprised as to what you can do with some of the so-called “entry level” products out there.  Case in point is Avid’s Pinnacle Studio HD Ultimate Collection.

Here’s a Windows program that retails for all of $130 ($150 with USB video capture gizmo) that takes footage from camcorders, memory modules, DVDs, Blu-ray discs (as long as they’re not copy protected), or even old videotapes.  Not only can you do all the basic editing  functions, including nifty transitions like fades and wipes, Studio even includes some pretty sophisticated titling features, royalty-free stock music and green screen capabilities (including a green backdrop).  Yes, you read that right.  You can do green screen.

Getting back to the transitions, sure you can do plain vanilla things like cuts and dissolves.  But Studio also includes a whole library of fun CG graphics like morphing your outgoing image into a balloon that floats away or nifty flying boxes.

Sure, if you’re cutting a feature film or something for broadcast, it’s important to use professional NLE tools like Avid Media Composer, Apple Final Cut or Adobe Premiere.  These programs have critical post tools like color correction, audio sweetening and plug-ins for things like stereoscopic 3D that would be overkill in a consumer product like Studio.

And while Studio lacks the high end DCI or broadcast codecs in its output options, that these professional tools offer, it does include a pretty robust number of options for disc, file, tape and web including native Blu-ray, DVD, AVCHD, DiVX, MPEG 1 through 4, Windows Media, Real Media, YouTube and even PS3 HD video.  This makes Studio a great and inexpensive tool to put together things like demo reels that can be distributed in a variety of formats with a very flashy look and feel.

So who’s it for?  People who need demo reels for one thing.  Let’s say you’re a freelance DP who’s shot a bunch of music videos or commercials.  You can use Studio to cut together a very slick looking highlight reel, even if you’re a novice editor. Many of my friends are actors who need to update/create reels. Other people I know who are recent film school graduates itching to show off their shooting and editing chops.  It’s also good for cutting webisodes (or shot videos intended for sites like YouTube, which Studio directly supports).   Like I said, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how much you can do with such an inexpensive program.

Share This

By Gordon Meyer
P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com

A couple of weeks ago, the Producers Guild of America hosted its second annual “Produced By” conference on the 20^th Century Fox lot.  More than 1,100 people attended, over half of whom were PGA members.   Featured speakers included maverick broadcaster Ted Turner, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban (a bit of a maverick himself) and a stellar group of A-list producers like former PGA president Marshall Herskowitz, Hawk Koch, Mark Gordon, and Richard Zanuck.

I found the panels to be both highly informative and often entertaining, especially the “Conversation with Mark Gordon and Marshall Herskovitz” moderated by PGA Executive Director Vance Van Petten.  I use the word “moderated” with a grain of salt. Van Petten  accurately predicted from the start that we was likely to lose control with the vaudeville team of Gordon and Herskovitz – and he was right.  The two producers wise cracked their way through the hour, while at the same time delivering their deeply insightful observations about the way the industry is changing.

One of the things that many producers emphasized was the critical importance of networking.  Not surprisingly, attendees were encouraged to join the PGA if they weren’t already members, because of the networking and mentoring resources the Guild offers, including

·         Access to various staffing resources and employment opportunities, including daily job postings, and three annual Job Forums: Episodic Television, Non-Fiction Television, and Motion Picture/Long-form Television.

·         Eligibility for employer-paid medical and dental coverage as well as pension in the Motion Picture and Television Industry Plan or group discount rates for self-pay Producers Health insurance plan.

·         Free (or heavily discounted) seminars in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco offering state-of-the-art information and career education from top motion picture, television, and new media professionals.

·         PGA Weekly Email Newsletters listing job postings, PGA info, general announcements, and much more.

·         Access to the PGA’s members-only multi-tiered Mentoring Program.

Throughout the weekend, I heard the recurring themes of the challenges of finding and developing compelling material beginning with the idea itself, and the concept of the producer’s job as serving the needs of the story and the director who brings it to the screen.  The best producers are those who know how to effectively balance their creative visions with logistical and budgetary legerdemain and the political skills of a six term senator. 

One of the panels I was most fascinated by was the one on “Transmedia” with David Eick (“Battlestar Galactica”), Cary Granat (“Journey to the Center of the Earth”), Jon Landau (“Avatar”), game producer Elan Lee and Larry Tanz (“Project Greenlight”).   The idea here is to take a core concept and develop it in a variety of media, like graphic novels, video games, webisodes, etc.   This way, not only can producers develop multiple revenue streams from the same property, they can also maintain more control (and profits) if the property is initially developed independently of a studio and then licensing only the film rights to a studio when it comes time to make the movie.  As the Lightstorm team demonstrated with “Avatar” and the Ubisoft video game, when done right, the different incarnations actually feed each other.  

At the end of the day, or more accurately end of the weekend, the message I got was that the most successful producers were all about finding great material and doing what it takes to serve that material, including hiring a team that shares that passion and commitment to the material.

Share This

by Gordon Meyer

P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com

The recent box office success of “Avatar” once again brings up the issue of 3D as a long-term format both theatrically and on home displays.  Lots of pundits have been predicting that “Avatar” will do for 3D what “Star Wars” did for Dolby Stereo - and they may well be right!

3D has been around since the old stereopticons of the 19th Century and on the big screen (off and on) since the 1920s.  While consumers clearly enjoy the immersive qualities of 3D, its implementation has often been a major headache - literally - in previous implementations of the technology.

Although glasses are still necessary for most 3D motion picture and video displays, I have seen prototypes of 3D plasma displays at various trade shows that work without glasses.  Even though those technologies still have a way to go before they’re truly ready for prime time, they prove that it’s just a matter of time before we get good 3D without glasses.

In theatres, 3D seems to have finally come into its own.  I saw preliminary footage of Bob Zemeckis’ take on “A Christmas Carol” last May in 3D and was blown away by how effectively he used the format, not to mention the way current 3D projection technologies from Dolby and RealD eliminate the double images and eye strain I experienced with older 3D systems.  After almost 90 years, 3D in movies looks like it’s finally ready, and just about every major studio has 3D releases on its slate for 2010.

Now the reality of the business is that as important as a successful theatrical run is, it’s the DVD/BD release where a huge portion of the profits come from.  That means the studios have a vested interest in bringing the 3D experience into the home in ways that compare favorably to the theatrical experience.  Well, the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) have given the studios and consumer electronics industry their 2010 Christmas present a year early by announcing the standards and specs for 3D Blu-ray discs.

3D was a big topic of discussion at last month’s Blu-con Blu-ray conference held in Beverly Hills.  In fact, many of the panelists talked at length about how 3D will be one of the features that will help insure the longevity of the BD format because of its ability to deliver full 1080p resolution to both right and left images without compromising quality.  Although the final specs were still being refined, it was predicted that the BDA would formally announce those specs before the end of the year and they kept that promise.

Here’s some of what this announcement means.  First of all, the specs are display agnostic.  They can work with a manufacturer’s choice of display technologies, be it plasma, LCD, DLP, CRT or whatever acronym you choose.  The type of glasses you’d use - or even lack of glasses when the technology presents itself, is also open as far as the BDA’s specs are concerned.  And now that the formal specs have been announced, we’ll see plenty of prototypes for both 3D ready TVs and 3D capable Blu-ray players on display at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show with live product likely to be in stores next summer.

Don’t be surprised if Fox holds off on the DVD/BD release of “Avatar” until they can put it out in 3D on those new products.  And don’t be surprised if lots of folks invest in 3D TVs and BD players just to be able to see “Avatar” in 3D in their homes.

So how good does the home version of 3D look?  Panasonic ran a 10 minute demo reel at Blu-con that blew me away.  And let me tell you here and now, even though “Avatar” is getting the attention, from what I saw at that demo, it’s actually going to be sports that ultimately becomes the killer app for 3D in the home.

Initially, home delivery of high def 3D content is going to come almost entirely from Blu-ray.  But it’s only a matter of time before the technology comes out that will enable broadcasters to get on the 3D bandwagon and then watch out!  It WILL be the standard, just as 40 years ago we saw the transition from black & white to color TV and we’re now watching a similar transition to HD from standard def.  I predict that within 3-5 years of the first HD 3D broadcast, 3D will become the standard.  And in all likelihood, the broadcast specs will be backwards compatible with the just announced BD specs because the hardware manufacturers will already have that technology in place.

The future is in 3D.  Now’s the time to master its possibilities beyond the novelty of having spears hurtled past you as in the 3D flix of old.

Share This

By Gordon Meyer

P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com

The TV 3.0 Summit was one of the more interesting conferences I’ve attended recently.  Held strictly as a business conference, and a deliberately intimate one at that with probably less than 200 people in attendance, here the focus was on how technology affects content and vice versa. 

“TV Everywhere” was an oft repeated theme as panelists frequently talked about the evolution of traditional broadcast TV and how that content is increasingly available on more and more non-TV devices, especially computers, game consoles and smart phones and how this trend will continue to grow. 

I kept thinking about the recent WGA and SAG contract negotiations and both unions’ concerns about how soon “new media” will be the primary delivery conduit for first run content.  These technical discussions about the growing reality that viewers can more and more often watch their favorite TV shows wherever and whenever they want using mobile devices underscores the need to re-define how residuals are paid.

It was also interesting to note the projection that smartphone sales (Blackberry and iPhone type devices) are likely to exceed conventional cell phone sales within the next two years.  This is important because there’s going to be an equally exponentially growing market for content that you can watch on these video-enabled phones, whether it’s something re-purposed from other content or material made specifically for the wireless video market. 

Knowing that something you produce is going to be seen mostly on 3” handheld screens by people with short attention spans should most definitely influence how this content is produced.

Not surprisingly, 3D was also a big topic of discussion at the Summit and specifically the challenge of recreating the theatrical 3D experience in the home.  The current wave of interest in 3D in theatres and the success of movies like Disney/Pixar’s “UP” and the anticipated success of James Cameron’s “Avatar” have the industry drooling over potential increased profits from exploiting this technology.

Earlier this year when I interviewed director Peter Hyams for P3 Update, he told me he anticipated that Cameron’s film would do for 3D what “Star Wars” did for Dolby surround sound in making that technology the next “must have” part of the audience experience. 

Certainly the technology itself has come a long way over the decades.  But even on the theatrical side, there are still multiple 3D standards in both digital and film-based exhibition, which is confusing and expensive for exhibitors.  And when it comes to really good quality 3D in the home, the standards war is just as fractious.

Come January, several consumer electronics companies will be showcasing 3D ready plasma and LCD displays at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show.  But as we still lack industry standards for how to execute 3D images, it’s likely to take years before 3D becomes a common feature in home theatre systems.  Just like the high definition format wars, it will all come down to a combination of which gets the widest studio (and adult video) support even more than who delivers the most natural quality picture.

At the end of the two day conference, after all the talk about things like product integration, immersive technologies, digital delivery systems, new advertising and business models, it still came down to what smart people have known all along – it’s all about creating quality content that consumers become emotionally invested in watching.  Without that, everything else is academic.

Share This

By Gordon Meyer

P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com

Since part of getting gigs in town is based on knowing what’s going on and who’s doing what, there are several online databases that any working professional should subscribe to.

Baseline Studio Systems’ (www.blssi.com) showbiz databases Film Tracker (www.filmtracker.com) and Studio System (www.studiosystem.com), are the Rolls Royces of showbiz databases both in terms of depth of content and pricing.

Studio System continuously tracks the status of thousands of projects in development, includes exceptionally comprehensive company and talent representation directories.  While much of this info is available on the less pricey Hollywood Creative Directory (www.HCDOnline.com) and IMDb Pro (http://pro.imdb.com) databases, you’ll often find info here not available on either of the other two, though to be fair, the reverse is also true.

A buddy of mine is a researcher for a major entertainment news organization who’s been using Studio System for years and he swears by it.  I’m just getting into it myself and like its depth of info, though am also a bit overwhelmed by some of the choices.  Fortunately Baseline is very good about providing both online tutorials and a real person to walk you through the system’s features so you can get the most out of what they offer.

Frankly as the Studio System is aimed at high level studio and network executives, the amount of info available there may be overkill for most below the line talent and indie producers.  Fortunately, their Film Tracker database will probably do the trick for a lot less moolah.  Film Tracker is basically a more streamlined version of the Studio System database with a focus on screen credits, representation info, feature and television project status and company rosters.

So if Film Tracker and Studio System are so comprehensive, why would you want to also subscribe to HCD Online and IMDb Pro?  Simple.  Because there’s always going to be info, especially contact info, that one of these databases will have that one or both of the others don’t.  Plus, on any given listing, one database may be more current than the others.  BTW, one of the things you pay for with Studio System/Film Tracker is the fact that each listing tells you at the bottom of the page when it was last updated. 

What can I tell you?  Knowledge is power.  Strategically used, these services can help you figure out who to pitch yourself and your projects to, what your pitching targets have done and often who to send flowers and chocolates to (their assistants, often listed by name) before or after the pitch.  Priceless.

Share This

By Gordon Meyer
P3GizmoGuy@gmail.com

Here’s a quickie on a very cool product category I’m checking out – the new breed of pocket camcorders.  A company called Pure Digital Products came out with one of the first models in this product category – a camera roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes.  And here’s one of the best features.  You can buy these puppies for under $200.

I’ve been playing with their Flip Ultra HD (www.theflip.com/) and like much of what I see.  This camera shoots a native 720p picture and can store up to 2 hours worth of footage in its internal storage.  It comes with its own editing and distribution software called FlipShare, which is preloaded onto the camera in both PC and Mac versions.  

The camera itself is tripod compatible and has HDMI and USB connectors along with a built-in mic and digital zoom lens.  The bundled software also does a great job of pulling individual frames to use as still photos.  The video files it generates are in the MP4 format so you should be able to drop the footage into any number of industry standard editing programs if you don’t want to use their bundled software (and for professional applications you probably won’t since this is a very consumer and YouTube oriented product).

Here’s the thing.  Cameras like the Flip Ultra HD will never replace professional gear or even pro-sumer gear as a tool for any kind of principle photography.   There’s no place to plug in an external microphone; the lens is small and has a very limited zoom range; and, as stated above, the only ports on the camera are an HDMI connector so you can plug the camera directly into an HDTV (or HD editing system) and a USB connector. Be aware than on a PC, the bundled FlipShare software requires a couple of gig of RAM and a very fast processor.  If you’re running an older computer, although the software will load, the video will be WAY out of sync with the sound, making editing a major chore.

The Flip Ultra HD and its counterparts were made specifically for the consumer market as an easy way to shoot edit and post videos to places like YouTube.   But because of their ultra compact size (you can easily fit one onside your shirt pocket), they’re great for location managers, screen tests and B-roll footage.  Savvy publicists and marketing execs can use these puppies to create on-set publicity footage that can be posted online with a minimum of fuss.  All in all a useful tool.

Share This

• Light the green or blue chromo screen backdrop and the foreground talent separately.
• Before you begin lighting a green or blue chromo screen sequence, you need to know exactly what the backdrop will become. If possible, have an editing system on set so that you can simulate your composites, so that you are able to see if your foreground lighting fits in with the backdrop image that will replace the chromo background.
• Make sure the shadows of the key light fall in the same direction as the backdrop, and that the quality of the lighting, color temperature and the angle of the lighting are in harmony. If your chromo will eventually be replaced with a muted soft landscape, your foreground subject needs soft lighting. If your backdrop will become a harsh desert, you foreground subjects need hard lighting. There is no bigger give away that the backdrop was fake, then if your foreground subject shadows and background subject shadows are moving in polar opposite directions to each other.
• Green or blue chromo screens are not exactly conducive to motivating actor imagination that they are on an exotic location, so do try show talent the intended backdrop image, so that their performance is motivated to the intended location.
• Use a green or blue chromo screen location with the largest backdrop surface your budget allows. I understand you may not have the “Iron Man” green screen budget, but remember that small chromo screens equal big problems, as small chromo screen restrict lensing options, ie how wide you can shot before your talent is not juxtaposed against a chromo backdrop, and as a result you end up shooting off your set.
• The green or blue chromo backdrop should be lit with a shadow-less, even as possible quality.
• Do not over light the green or blue screen. The more light you have on the chromo, the more chance you have for the green or blue color of the backdrop reflecting spill light onto the actors, thus compromising a clean composite.
• It is preferable to underexpose your green screen up to one stop darker to avoid green spill light. With blue screen you have to be carefull as underexposed blue goes black. So rule of thumb for me is green screen 1 stop under the camera exposure, blue screen at camera exposure.
• Keep the talent as far away from the green or blue screen backdrop as possible, this again will help ensure that you have the least amount of unnecessary chromo spill light seeping onto the reflection angles of the talents faces or bodies.
• I either use space lights or tungsten nine lights through 1/4 grid cloth to light green screens evenly.
• I primarily use four -point lighting approach for the foreground talent for chroma screen work, key light, fill light, and two back light cross keys to ensure the cleanest composites and separation from the chroma screen. I position the cross key back lights at 45% angle from both sides. I keep the backlights anywhere from a 1/2 a stop under exposure to a 1/2 a stop over exposure.
• Another great trick is to use 1/8 magenta gels on your backlight for green screen and 1/8 yellow gel for blue screens, as these are the respective complementary colors of the potential chroma color spill.
• Another good reason to keep talent as far away from the chromo screen backdrop as possible, is to avoid the talent casting shadows on the chromo screen.
• If you have to paint your chroma color on the floor, keep it as spotless as possible by not having crew walking on the floor unnecessarily, or if they have to, provide surgical socks for crew to walk in.
• Is green or blue better for composites? Because green has a brighter color channel then blue, and blue when underexposed tends to have more noise then green, green is the color of my chose if possible for green/blue screen work. That being said, blonde hair is easier to key against blue screen backdrops. However, with today’s software composite packages, either green or blue will do the job. Therefore, a second important criteria to consider in your decision is wardrobe. If you are dealing with primarily blue wardrobe the of course a green screen backdrop makes more sense and visa versa.
• If you’re shooting in a 16:9 aspect ratio, you could set the camera to a 4:3 aspect ratio for chromo screen work, unless your framing something that will fill the entire frame horizontally. This will ensure you have the most resolution possible. Also feel free to crop in a little tighter then the final frame will be, as you will always benefit in resolution if you gather more information and are able to reduce the size in the composite.
• Another trick to squeeze the maximum amount of resolution into your cameras gathering of information process, is to tilt the camera 90 degrees for shots of standing people, thus utilizing a lot more horizontal information into your subject, that you will later be able to reduce in size in the composite.
• Color temperature i.e. shooting green screen with Tungsten or HMI is not a huge consideration. Again what is of most important is to treat the background and subject separately.
• Do not forget to add some effects and texture to sell the trick. If the background is garden, have for example a cucalorous which is organic wooden shaped cut-out in front of your key light source, to simulate the effect of the sun moving through branches and leaves.
• A good green paint for excellent composites is Rosco’s Ultimate Chroma Key, but today’s software is so sophisticated you will be able to extract good composites with almost any chromo paint.
• Ensure that you do not have reflective and shiny props like jewelry or earrings when you doing chromo screen work, or you will need to become a rotoscope export in post.

·       With compositing, shoot progressive [frames] rather than interlaced [fields] to get the cleanest edge and highest resolution.Weather you go green or blue, I trust these tips will get you though your chromo day very successfully. If you have further questions please don’t hesitate to contact me personally through my site at www.daronkeet.com

Share This

By Iain Blair

Had lunch with Bruce Lyon, an old friend who is now the co-founder and CEO of hot new company, Integrated Media Technologies Inc. The Burbank-based company  - check it out at www.imtglobalinc.com - “offers ground-breaking solutions for creating, managing, storing and distributing digital media content,” Bruce told me. “We’re building out the next generation of digital storage.”

Bruce, a former executive from Sun Microsystems and an Oscar winner for Technical Achievement, formed IMT just a year ago. The team includes Chairman John Zanotti, former CEO of wireless entertainment company Astrum Digital and broadcaster Citicasters Inc., SVP of Sales Mike Braico, formerly Sun’s top media and entertainment sales executive, and CFO Jack Fluor, former director of finance at Spark Networks.  Rob Kobrin, former SVP for Worldwide Product Marketing at Avid, recently joined the company as CTO.

The company’s areas of expertise include enterprise class computing, networking and storage systems. It also offers IT consulting services, including project management, infrastructure design, and systems engineering for media and entertainment companies. In just 12 months of operation, IMT has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments. Its roster of clients includes Paramount, Technicolor Inc., Deluxe Film and Video, Fox Entertainment, Mainstreet Pictures, and DirecTV. “We just created a state-of-the-art digital production studio for The Jim Henson Company to support the HD production of its new series Sid, The Science Kid,” said Bruce. IMT has also designed an archiving system for Rhythm & Hues, one of Hollywood’s most successful special effects producers.  The company is currently working with Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane and Main Street Pictures on an ambitious new project for the Web. Spurred by its success, IMT plans to shortly double the size of its facility.

Share This